Manley® Variable Mu Limiter Compressor
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Add tube compression royalty to your mixes.
As Manley Labs' flagship compressor since 1994, the Vari Mu is a tube and transformer-driven classic that exudes handmade craftsmanship and is the gold standard among mixing and mastering engineers. The Manley Variable Mu Limiter Compressor plug-in gives your stereo buses or your entire mix the same clarity and cohesion as the high-end hardware.
Included Versions
UAD Native
Runs on your Mac or PC without UA hardware.Apollo Realtime & UAD‑2
Runs accelerated on Apollo interfaces and UAD‑2 hardware.UAD Native plug-ins run on both macOS 10.15 Catalina or newer and Windows 10 and 11. Go to our UA Support page for system requirements.
- Add definition and fidelity to individual tracks, stereo buses, or an entire mix
- Glue together difficult mixes with signature Manley tube compression
- Link channels for a precise, perfectly matched stereo image
- Select from Left/Right or Mid/Side operation for precise control of stereo imaging
- Use the plug-in-only Dry/Wet Mix control to easily dial in parallel compression
TAKE A LISTEN
Easily Add Stunning Polish
Treat your source material with velvety-smooth gain reduction, while infusing warm harmonic content, free of audible compression artifacts with the Manley Vari Mu Limiter Compressor plug-in and add a variable gain compressor with stunning transparency to your studio.
Enhance Tracks and Glue Mixes
The Manley Vari Mu Limiter Compressor plug-in can be used on single instruments such as bass or a lead vocal, or on subgroups like strings or horns. But its raison d'être is on the mix bus, where it can unify your mixes with a rich, hi-fi fit and finish.
Polish your Mixes with Powerful Controls
Parameter linking allows simultaneous adjustment of both channels with stereo signals. When unlinked, the plug-in's Mid/Side processing is improved over the hardware, giving you phase accurate stereo imaging. Use the High Pass Sidechain filter to reduce low-end pumping — letting you compress, say, overheads, while retaining punchy bottom-end. Dry/Wet Mix offers easy parallel compression — perfect for polishing vocals and more — while Headroom lets you optimize the Variable Mu’s overall level to your playback system.
“If you've got a ragged mix, this plug-in will give it a big hug. It's a stunning emulation of our Variable Mu hardware, right down to the last detail.”
– EveAnna Manley President of Manley Labs
“The Manley Variable Mu is one of my go-to compressors for all types of sounds – especially when I’m looking for an upfront, in-your-face tone. It's fun to distort too.”
– Mike Larson (Pharrell, Daft Punk, Kendrick Lamar)
“I used to lament that I had only one Manley Variable Mu. Thanks to UA, those days are in the past! Now I'm like that little old lady on the hot sauce commercials — I put that s*** on everything!”
– Phil Tan (Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Rihanna)
“Three different hardware versions of the Manley Variable Mu have lived in my gear racks since the ’90s. Now the UAD version captures the same unique feel that the hardware adds to my mixes.”
– Mark Needham (The Killers, Neon Trees, P!nk)Customer Reviews
A. pc
March 12, 2024
Excelente emulacion of Vari MU
Sin palabras , muy excelente compresor
Read MoreB. DeRenzo
March 8, 2024
you're kidding...49.00?
This is the best plugin UAD has, period. I can't believe it's only 49.00 I put it on my vocals, kick, snare, backgrounds and used it for M/S on the master buss. unreal. This is the very...
Read MoreS. bagman
March 7, 2024
The best plugin.
favorite plugin, thank you universal audio for the wonderful gift.
Read MoreD. Zakrzewski
March 4, 2024
Great Plugin!
I love that one! Adds nice dynamics, tube saturation and glueing!
Read More -
Customer Reviews
Manley® Variable Mu Limiter Compressor
A. pc
Excelente emulacion of Vari MU
Sin palabras , muy excelente compresor
Д. Дмитрий
My Dream
It's magic )) Love it ))
B. DeRenzo
you're kidding...49.00?
This is the best plugin UAD has, period. I can't believe it's only 49.00 I put it on my vocals, kick, snare, backgrounds and used it for M/S on the master buss. unreal.
This is the very best money I've spent on this platform and I've spent plenty. What a work of art. BravoS. bagman
The best plugin.
favorite plugin, thank you universal audio for the wonderful gift.
D. Zakrzewski
Great Plugin!
I love that one! Adds nice dynamics, tube saturation and glueing!
A. pc
Excelente emulacion Vari MU
encantado de la marca UADx
p. durrell
great dynamics & glue
very impressed with this, I found it brings out the dynamics and adds glue..
F. Hasan
Must Have!
finally it became native!
